JP2020515332A - Connection status and control of fall prevention device - Google Patents

Abstract

Describes techniques for monitoring and controlling fall arresters. For example, the techniques of this disclosure can be used to monitor the connection status of a fall arrester, eg, whether the fall arrester is connected to a support structure. The techniques of this disclosure may also be used to control the operation of a fall arrest device based on the connection status.

Description

  The present disclosure relates to a safety device, particularly a fall prevention device.

  Fall protection is an important safety feature for workers working at heights that are potentially harmful or even life-threatening. For example, in order to help ensure safety in the event of a fall, workers have fall prevention tools such as lanyards, de-energizers, self-retracting lanyards (SRLs), and upright conveyors to support structures. Often wear a safety harness connected to. A worker is sometimes referred to as "tied off" when the worker is connected to the support structure. In order to maintain safe working conditions when working at heights, the operator can always maintain at least one connection to the support structure.

  The fall arrester may include various components for connecting an operator to a support structure (also referred to as a fixture). For example, the snap hook and carabiner can have a movable gate that can be connected to and removed from the support structure by an operator. As another example, a ladder safety sleeve has a movable gate that allows an operator to connect to and disconnect from a carrier of a rising ladder fall protection system, such as a flexible cable or a rigid rail support structure. May be.

  In general, the present disclosure describes techniques for monitoring and controlling fall arresters. For example, the techniques of this disclosure can be used to monitor the connection status of a fall arrester, eg, whether the fall arrester is connected to a support structure. The techniques of this disclosure may also be used to control the operation of a fall arrester based on the connection status. For example, aspects of the disclosure relate to determining that a particular fall protector article is the only fall preventer connected to a support structure. Based on this determination, the present technique involves initiating an alert and/or preventing the fall arrestor from disengaging from the support structure. In this way, the present technique can help ensure that the operator maintains at least one connection to the support structure when working at height.

  In one embodiment, the method is determining that a first article of anti-falling device is connected to at least one support structure, the first article of anti-falling device is Included in a set of fall arresters including at least one second article, and wherein the first article of fall arresters is connected to at least one support structure in the set of fall arresters Based on determining that it is an article of the fall prevention device, and the first article of the fall prevention device is the only article of the fall prevention device that is connected to the at least one support structure, Performing at least one operation.

  In another example, the device comprises a memory configured to store data that indicates whether the first article of fall protection is connected to the at least one support structure. The device also comprises one or more processors configured to communicate with the memory, the one or more processors being the first article of fall protection device based on the data. It is determined that the first article of the fall prevention device included in the set of fall prevention devices including at least one second article is connected to the at least one support structure, and the first article of the fall prevention device is It is determined that the fall protection device is the only fall prevention device article in the set of fall protection devices connected to the at least one support structure, and the first fall prevention device article is the at least one support structure. Is configured to perform at least one action based on the determination that the item is the only fall prevention device connected to.

  In another embodiment, an anti-drop device is connected between the body and at least partially defining a mounting area for attaching the anti-drop device to a support structure and between an open position and a closed position. A movable gate configured to move, the open position providing access to a mounting area for mounting the fall prevention device to a support structure, and the closed position blocking access to the mounting area, A movable gate and a first sensor configured to generate data indicating whether the support structure is located within the mounting area.

  In another embodiment, a system is configured to be connected to at least one support structure and a first article of fall arrest device and is configured to be connected to the at least one support structure. A set of fall arresters including at least one second article of fall arresters. The system also includes a hub, the hub comprising: a first article of the fall arrester, at least one second article of the fall arrester, and one or more communication units configured to communicate wirelessly. A processor of the fall prevention device, the one or more processors determining that a first article of the fall prevention device is connected to the at least one support structure and falling in the set of fall prevention devices. Determining that the first article of protection is the only fall prevention article connected to the at least one support structure, and the first article of fall protection is connected to the at least one support structure; And configured to perform at least one action based on the determination that the item is the only anti-fall device being provided.

  The details of one or more embodiments of the disclosure are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the disclosure will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.

An exemplary system is provided in which personal protective equipment (PPE) with implantable sensors and communication capabilities is used in multiple work environments and is managed by a personal protective equipment management system according to various techniques of this disclosure. It is a block diagram shown. It is a block diagram which shows the viewpoint of operation|movement of the personal protective equipment management system shown by FIG. FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a computing device that may be used to monitor and/or control a fall protector in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. 1 illustrates an example of a carabiner constructed in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. 1 illustrates an example of a carrier sleeve constructed in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 shows another view of the ladder-type safety sleeve shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 8 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of a fall arrester that communicates with a wearable data hub according to various aspects of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary process for controlling movement of an article of a fall arrest device according to aspects of the disclosure.

  In accordance with aspects of the present disclosure, a fall arrest device article can be configured to incorporate one or more electronic sensors for capturing data indicative of the behavior of the fall arrest device. A fall arrest device can generally refer to an instrument used to connect a user (eg, an operator) to a support structure in order to secure the user to the support structure in the event of a drop. Examples of fall arresters include various carabiners (also called "spring hooks" or "snap hooks"), shackles, carrier sleeves, or other devices that allow a user to attach and detach from a support structure. A particular example of a snap hook that can be adapted to incorporate certain techniques of the present disclosure is the Saflok™ SnapHook manufactured by 3M Fall Protection Business. A particular example of a carrier sleeve that can be adapted to incorporate certain techniques of the present disclosure is the Lad-Saf™ X3 Detachable Carrier Sleeve manufactured by 3M Fall Protection Business. The support structure can include an anchor, a lifeline, or another structure that can support a user's weight when dropped.

  In some implementations, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure, an electronic sensor of a fall arrester can be configured to capture data indicative of the behavior or characteristics of the fall arrester. For example, the electronic sensor may be data indicating the relative position of the components of the anti-drop device (eg, the position of the gate of the snap hook, carabiner, or carrier sleeve), the support structure may be located within the mounting area of the anti-fall device. Data indicating whether or not, or other behavioral or characteristic data of the fall arrester can be captured. As described herein, the attachment area of a fall arrester may generally refer to the area defined by one or more components of the fall arrester including the support structure. That is, when fixed to the support structure, the attachment area is the area of the fall arrester in which the support structure is located. With respect to an exemplary carabiner, the mounting area may be the interior area of the carabiner defined by the body of the carabiner and the gate.

  According to aspects of the disclosure, a fall arrester and/or a computing device in communication with the fall arrester can use data from a sensor to determine a change in state of a connection of the fall arrester. The connected state generally refers to whether or not the fall prevention device is connected to the support structure.

  In an illustrative example, the fall protection article can include a carabiner having a gate that opens and closes so that the carabiner can be connected to the support structure. In accordance with aspects of the present disclosure, in this particular embodiment, the electronic sensor is configured to capture data indicative of the relative position of the gate and data indicative of whether the support structure is located within the carabiner. Can be configured. The carabiner (and/or the computing device in communication with the carabiner) is based on data indicating that the gate is open, the support structure is located within the carabiner, and the gate is closed. Can be determined to be connected to the support structure.

  In some cases, the techniques of this disclosure may also be used to control the operation of a fall arrest device based on the connection status. For example, in order to maintain safe working conditions when working at height, an operator may maintain at least one connection to the support structure throughout working at height. Aspects of the present disclosure relate to determining that a particular fall protection article is the only fall prevention device connected to a support structure. Based on this determination, the technique provides, for example, by issuing an alert and/or actuating a lock or other device that helps prevent the fall arrestor from disconnecting from the support structure. Preventing removal of the fall arrester from the support structure. In this way, these techniques can help ensure that the operator maintains at least one connection to the support structure when working at height.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary computing system 2 including a personal protective equipment management system (PPEMS) 6 for managing personal protective equipment. As described herein, PPEMS allows authorized users to perform preventative occupational health and safety related activities and manage the inspection and maintenance of safety protective equipment. By interacting with the PPEMS 6, the safety expert can manage, for example, area inspections, worker inspections, worker health and safety compliance training.

  In general, PPEMS6 performs data collection, monitoring, activity logging, reporting, predictive analysis, and alert generation. For example, PPEMS 6 includes the underlying analysis and safety event prediction engine and alert system according to various embodiments described herein. As described further below, PPEMS 6 provides an integrated package of personal safety tool management tools to implement various techniques of this disclosure. That is, the PPEMS 6 manages personal protective equipment, such as safety equipment, that the worker 8 uses within one or more physical environments 10, which may be a construction site, a mining site, a manufacturing site, or any physical environment. To provide an integrated end-to-end system. The techniques of this disclosure may be implemented in various parts of computing environment 2.

  As shown in the example of FIG. 1, the system 2 allows computing devices in a plurality of physical environments 8A, 8B (collectively environment 8) to communicate electronically with a PPEMS 6 via one or more computer networks 4. Indicates the computing environment to run. Each physical environment 8 refers to a physical environment, such as a work environment, in which one or more individuals, such as workers 10, use personal protective equipment when engaging in tasks or activities within their respective environments.

  In this example, environment 8A is shown generally as having a worker 10, while environment 8B is shown in an expanded form to provide a more detailed example. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, a plurality of workers 10A to 10N are shown to use respective fall prevention tools 11A to 11N (collectively, fall prevention tools 11), and these are used in this example. Shown as various carabiners, carrier sleeves, and self-contained lanyards (SRLs) attached to the safety support structure 12.

  As further described herein, each fall arrest device 11 is configured to capture data in real time as a user (eg, an operator) wears the fall arrest device and engages in an activity. Includes embedded sensors or monitoring devices and processing electronics. For example, as will be described in more detail with respect to the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the fall arrester 11 includes one or more sensors (referred to as connection sensors) configured to sense characteristics associated with the connection. , Various electronic sensors, such as one or more use and environment sensors for measuring the operation of the fall arrester 11. In addition, each fall prevention device 11 includes one or more output devices for outputting data indicating the operation of the fall prevention device 11 and/or for generating and outputting communication to each worker 10. May be included. For example, fall protection device 11 may include audible feedback (eg, one or more speakers), visual feedback (eg, one or more displays, light emitting diodes (LEDs), etc.), or tactile feedback (eg, vibrating, or otherwise). One or more devices for generating a device) that provide tactile feedback for the device.

  Generally, each environment 8 includes computing equipment (eg, a local area network) by which fall arrest device 11 can communicate with PPEMS 6. For example, the environment 8 may be configured by a wireless technology such as an 802.11 wireless network or an 802.15 ZigBee (registered trademark) network. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, environment 8B includes local network 7 that provides a packet-based transport medium for communicating with PPEMS 6 via network 4. In addition, environment 8B includes a plurality of wireless access points 19A, 19B that may be geographically dispersed throughout the environment to provide support for wireless communications throughout the work environment.

  Each fall prevention tool 11 is configured to communicate data such as a sensed operation, event, and state by wireless communication such as 802.11 WiFi protocol or Bluetooth (registered trademark) protocol. The fall prevention tool 11 may directly communicate with the wireless access point 19, for example. As another example, each worker 10 may be equipped with a respective wearable communication hub 14A-14M that enables and facilitates communication between the fall arrest device 11 and the PPEMS 6. . For example, each worker's 10 fall arrest device 11 as well as other PPEs may communicate with their respective communication hub 14 via Bluetooth® or other short range protocol, which communicates with the wireless access point 19. You may communicate with PPEMS6 via the wireless communication processed by. Although shown as a wearable device, hub 14 may be implemented as a standalone device located within environment 8B.

  In some cases, each hub 14 acts as a wireless device for fall prevention device 11 that relays communication to/from fall protection device 11 and provides usage data in the event that communication with PPEMS 6 is lost. Can be buffered. Moreover, each hub 14 is programmable by the PPEMS 6 so that local alert rules can be installed and executed without requiring a connection to the cloud. Thus, each hub 14 provides a relay of the usage data stream from the fall arrest device 11 and/or other PPEs in each environment, and is localized based on the stream of events if communication with the PPEMS 6 is lost. Providing a local computing environment for triggered alerts.

  As shown in the example of FIG. 1, environments such as environment 8B may also include one or more wireless-enabled beacons such as beacons 17A-17C that provide accurate location information within the work environment. For example, the beacons 17A-17C may be GPS enabled so that the controller in each beacon can accurately determine the position of each beacon. The article of the predetermined fall prevention tool 11 worn by the worker 10 or the communication hub 14 determines the position of the worker in the work environment 8B based on wireless communication with one or more of the beacons 17. It is configured. In this way, location information may be stamped on the event data reported to PPEMS 6 to aid in the analysis, reporting, and analysis performed by PPEMS.

  Additionally, environments such as environment 8B may also include one or more wireless enabled sensing stations such as sensing stations 21A, 21B. Each sensing station 21 includes one or more sensors and a controller configured to output data indicative of sensed environmental conditions. Further, the sensing station 21 may be located within each geographical area of the environment 8B, or otherwise may interact with the beacon 17 to determine each location and report the environmental data to the PPEMS 6. It contains the location information.

  Therefore, the PPEMS 6 may be configured to correlate the sensed environmental conditions with a particular region, thus using the captured environmental data when processing the event data received from the fall arrest device 11. be able to. For example, the PPEMS 6 may assist in the generation of alerts, or other commands for the fall protection device 11, and under certain environmental conditions (eg, wind speed, heat, humidity, visibility) or abnormal behavior of a worker or. Environmental data may be used to perform predictive analysis, such as finding any correlations with an increase in safety related events. Thus, PPEMS 6 can utilize current environmental conditions to help predict and avoid imminent safety related events. Exemplary environmental conditions that can be sensed by the sensing device 21 include, but are not limited to, temperature, humidity, gas presence, pressure, field of view, wind speed, and the like.

  In an exemplary implementation, the environment, such as environment 8B, may also include one or more safety stations 15 distributed throughout the environment to provide viewing stations for accessing PPEM 6. According to the safety station 15, one of the workers 10 inspects the fall arrest device 11 and/or other safety equipment, and confirms that the safety equipment is suitable for one particular environment 8. And/or data can be exchanged. For example, the safety station 15 may send alert rules, software updates, or firmware updates to the fall arrest device 11 or other appliance. Security station 15 may also receive data cached on fall arrest device 11, hub 14 and/or other safety devices. That is, the fall arrester 11 (and/or the data hub 14) can typically transmit usage data from the sensor of the fall arrester 11 to the network 4, but in some cases the fall arrester 11 (And/or the data hub 14) may not have connectivity to the network 4. In such cases, fall arrest device 11 (and/or data hub 14) may store usage data locally and may send usage data to safety station 15 when in proximity to safety station 15. . The safety station 15 may then upload the data from the fall arrest device 11 and connect it to the network 4.

  Further, each environment 8 includes computing equipment that provides an operating environment for the end-user computing device 16 to interact with the PPEMS 6 over the network 4. For example, each environment 8 typically includes one or more safety managers who serve to oversee safety compliance within the environment. In general, each user 20 interacts with computing device 16 to access PPEMS 6. Each environment 8 may include a system. Similarly, remote users may use computing device 18 to interact with PPEMS via network 4. For purposes of illustration, the end-user computing device 16 can be a laptop, desktop computer, tablet or mobile device such as a so-called smartphone, or the like.

  The users 20, 24 interact with the PPEMS 6 to control and actively manage many aspects of the safety equipment used by the worker 10 (access and view usage records, analysis, and reporting, Such). For example, the users 20, 24 may scrutinize the stored usage information obtained and stored by the PPEMS 6, the usage information identifying start and end times at a certain duration (eg, day, week, etc.). It may include data, detected drops, sensory data obtained from the user, environmental data, and the like. In addition, the users 20, 24 interact with the PPEMS 6 to perform asset tracking and schedule maintenance events for individual safety equipment, such as fall protection equipment 11, to ensure compliance with any procedures or regulations. Good. The PPEMS 6 allows users 20, 24 to create and complete digital checklists of maintenance procedures and synchronize any results of the procedures from the computing devices 16, 18 to the PPEMS 6.

  Further, as described herein, the PPEMS 6 incorporates an event processing platform configured to process a simultaneous stream of thousands or even millions of events from a digitally enabled PPE, such as fall protection device 11. is doing. The basic analysis engine of the PPEMS 6 applies the past data and the model to the inbound stream, and calculates assertions such as occurrence of an abnormal or predicted safety-related event specified based on the state or behavior pattern of the worker 10. In addition, PPEMS 6 provides real-time alerts and reports to notify worker 10 and/or users 20, 24 of any anticipated events, anomalies, trends, etc.

  The PPEMS 6 analysis engine, in some embodiments, applies the analysis to identify relationships or correlations between sensed worker data, environmental conditions, geographic areas, and other factors to safely You can analyze the impact on the events involved. Based on the data acquired across the population of workers 10, the PPEMS 6 will determine which particular activity, perhaps within a particular geographical area, will lead to or is expected to lead to a significantly higher safety-related event. You may judge.

  In this way, PPEMS6 integrates a comprehensive tool for managing personal protective equipment with basic analysis engines and communication systems for data collection, monitoring, activity logging, reporting, behavioral analysis and alert generation. To do. Further, PPEMS 6 provides a communication system for operation and use by and between various elements of system 2. Users 20, 24 can access PPEMS to view the results of any analysis performed by PPEMS 6 on data acquired from worker 10. In some embodiments, PPEMS 6 may present a web-based interface via a web server (eg, HTTP server), or mobile devices such as desktop computers, laptop computers, smartphones and tablets. , Client side applications may be deployed for the devices of the computing devices 16, 18 used by the users 20, 24.

  In some embodiments, the PPEMS 6 is a database query engine for querying the PPEMS 6 directly to view any safety information, compliance information, and analysis engine results obtained, for example, by dashboards, alert notifications, reports, etc. Can be provided. That is, the user 24, 26, or software executing on the computing device 16, 18 submits a query to the PPEMS 6 and receives data corresponding to the query for presentation in the form of one or more reports or dashboards. You can Such dashboards can be used for reference (“normal”) behavior of the entire population of workers, identification of any anomalous workers engaged in anomalous activities that may endanger workers, and significantly anomalous (eg, high) safety. The identification of any geographical area in the environment 2 in which an event related to the event has occurred or is expected to occur, the identification of any environment 2 in which an abnormal occurrence of an event related to safety in comparison with other environments is specified, etc. , May provide various perspectives on the system 2.

  The PPEMS 6 may simplify the workflow of the individual being monitored and ensure safety compliance with respect to the group or the environment. That is, according to the technology of the present disclosure, active safety management becomes possible, and the organization takes preventive action or corrective action on a specific area in the environment 8, a specific article of the fall prevention tool 11 or an individual worker 10. However, the organization may define a data driven workflow procedure by the underlying analysis engine and further implement this procedure.

  As an example, the basic analysis engine of PPEMS 6 may be configured to calculate and present customer-defined indicators for a population of workers within a given environment 8 or across multiple environments throughout an organization. For example, PPEMS 6 may obtain data and provide aggregated performance indicators and predicted behavioral analysis across a population of workers (eg, across workers 10 in either or both environments 8A, 8B). You may comprise. In addition, the users 20, 24 may set benchmarks for the occurrence of any safety-related incidents, and the PPEMS 6 may track actual performance indicators against benchmarks of individuals or a given population of workers.

  As another example, the PPEMS 6 may also alert if certain combinations of conditions exist, eg, to expedite inspection or maintenance of a safety device, such as one of the fall arresters 11. Good. In this way, the PPEMS 6 identifies individual fall arresters 11 or workers 10 whose indicators do not meet the benchmark, and implements procedures for the user to intervene and/or improve the benchmark. By doing so, it is possible to ensure the compliance of the worker 10 and actively manage safety.

  FIG. 2 shows a plurality of distinct workers with a collective population of workers 10 having various communication-enabled personal protective equipment (PPE) such as fall protection equipment 11, respiratory masks 13, safety helmets, or other safety equipment. FIG. 6 is a block diagram presenting an operational perspective of the PPEMS 6 when hosted as a cloud-based platform capable of supporting the work environment 8. In the example of FIG. 2, the components of PPEMS 6 are arranged according to multiple logical layers implementing the techniques of this disclosure. Each layer can be implemented by one or more modules including hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

  In FIG. 2, personal protective equipment (PPE) 62, such as fall arrest device 11, respiratory mask 13 and/or other equipment, communicates with PPEMS 6 via interface layer 64, either directly or by hub 14 and computing device 60. It operates as the client 63. Computing device 60 typically executes client software applications such as desktop applications, mobile applications, and web applications. Computing device 60 may be any of computing devices 16, 18 of FIG. Examples of computing device 60 include portable or mobile computing devices (eg, smartphones, wearable computing devices, tablets), laptop computers, desktop computers, smart television platforms, to name just a few. And a server, but is not limited thereto.

  As further described in this disclosure, PPE 62 communicates (either directly or via hub 14) with PPEMS 6 to provide a stream of data obtained from implantable sensors and other monitoring circuits, alerting from PPEMS 6, Receive configuration and other communications. A client application running on computing device 60 can communicate with PPEMS 6 to send and receive information obtained, stored, generated and/or otherwise processed by service 68. For example, the client application may request and edit safety-related event information, including analytical data stored in and/or managed by the PPEMS 6. In some embodiments, the client application 61 aggregates or aggregates a number of individual safety-relevant event instances obtained from the PPE 62 and/or generated by the PPEMS 6 and corresponding data to aggregate safety events. Information can be requested and displayed. The client application may interact with the PPEMS 6 to query analytical information about past and predicted safety related events, behavioral trends of the worker 10, to name but a few. In some embodiments, the client application may output and display information received from the PPEMS 6 and make such information visible to the user of the client 63. As further shown and described below, the PPEMS 6 may provide information to the client application, which the client application outputs and displays on a user interface.

  Client applications running on computing device 60 may be implemented for different platforms, but may include similar or identical functionality. For example, the client application may run on a desktop operating system such as Microsoft® Windows®, Apple® OS X, or Linux®, just to name a few. It may be a desktop application compiled into. As another example, a client application may be a Google Android®, Apple® iOS®, Microsoft® Windows® Mobile, or just a few examples. It may be a mobile application compiled to run on a mobile operating system such as BlackBerry® OS. As another example, the client application may be a web application such as a web browser that displays the web page received from the PPEMS 6.

  In a web application embodiment, PPEMS 6 can receive requests from web applications (eg, web browsers), process the requests, and send one or more responses back to the web application. As such, the collection of web pages, the client side processing of the web application, and the server side processing performed by the PPEMS 6 collectively provide the functionality for implementing the techniques of this disclosure. In this way, the client application uses various services of the PPEMS 6 according to the techniques of this disclosure, which application may be used in a variety of different computing environments (eg, PPE embedded circuits or processors, to name but a few). , Desktop operating systems, mobile operating systems, or web browsers).

  As shown in FIG. 2, the PPEMS 6 comprises an interface layer 64 that represents a set of application programming interfaces (APIs) or protocol interfaces presented and supported by the PPEMS 6. The interface layer 64 first receives a message from one of the clients 63 for further processing in the PPEMS 6. The interface layer 64 may thus provide one or more interfaces available to client applications executing on the client 63. In some embodiments, this interface may be an application programming interface (API) accessible on the network. The interface layer 64 may be implemented by one or more web servers. One or more web servers receive the incoming request, process the information from the request and/or forward it to service 68, and based on the information received from service 68, to the client application that originally sent the request. One or more responses can be provided. In some embodiments, one or more web servers implementing interface layer 64 may comprise an execution environment for deploying program logic that provides one or more interfaces. Each service may provide a group of one or more interfaces accessible via the interface layer 64, as described further below.

  In some embodiments, the interface layer 64 may provide a Representational State Transfer (RESTful) interface that interacts with the service using HTTP methods and manipulates the resources of the PPEMS 6. it can. In such an embodiment, service 68 may generate a Javascript Object Notation (JSON) message that interface layer 64 returns to client application 61 that submitted the initial request. .. In some embodiments, the interface layer 64 provides a web service that uses the Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) to handle requests from the client application 61. In yet another embodiment, the interface layer 64 may use Remote Procedure Calls (RPC) to handle the request from the client 63. Upon receiving a request from a client application to use one or more services 68, interface layer 64 sends information to application layer 66, which includes services 68.

  As shown in FIG. 2, PPEMS 6 also includes an application layer 66 that represents a collection of services for implementing many of the basic operations of PPEMS 6. The application layer 66 receives the information contained in the request received from the client application 61 and further processes this information according to one or more of the services 68 invoked by the request. The application layer 66 may be implemented as one or more application servers, eg, one or more discrete software services running on a physical or virtual machine. That is, the application server provides an execution environment for executing the service 68. In some embodiments, the functionality of the functional interface layer 64 and the functionality of the application layer 66 described above may be implemented on the same server.

  The application layer 66 may include, for example, by way of example, one or more separate software services 68, eg, processes, that communicate via a logical service bus 70. Service bus 70 generally represents a set of logical interconnections or interfaces that allow different services to send messages to other services, such as by the publish/subscribe communication model. For example, each service 68 may subscribe to a particular type of message based on a criteria set for each service.

  When a service publishes a message of a particular type to service bus 70, other services that subscribe to that type of message receive the message. In this way, each service 68 may communicate information with each other. As another example, service 68 may communicate in a point-to-point fashion using sockets or other communication mechanisms. In yet another embodiment, a pipeline system configuration may be used to implement workflow and logical processing of data messages as they are processed by software system services. Before describing the function of each service 68, the layers are briefly described here.

  The data layer 72 of PPEMS 6 represents a data repository that uses one or more data repositories 74 to provide persistence of information within PPEMS 6. A data repository may generally be any data structure or software that stores and/or manages data. Examples of data repositories include, but are not limited to, relational databases, multidimensional databases, maps, and hash tables, to name but a few. The data layer 72 may be implemented using relational database management system (RDBMS) software to manage the information in the data repository 74. The RDBMS software can manage one or more data repositories 74 that can be accessed using a Structured Query Language (SQL). Information in one or more databases may be stored, retrieved, and modified using RDBMS software. In some embodiments, the data layer 72 is implemented using an Object Database Management System (ODBMS), Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) database, or other suitable data management system. can do.

  As shown in FIG. 2, each of the services 68A to 68H (“service 68”) is implemented in the PPEMS 6 in a module format. Although each service is shown as a separate module, in some embodiments the functionality of more than one service may be combined into a single module or component. Each service 68 can be implemented in software, hardware, or a combination of hardware and software. Further, service 68 may be implemented as a stand-alone device, a separate virtual machine or container, a process, generally as threads or software instructions for execution on one or more physical processors.

  In some embodiments, one or more services 68 may each provide one or more interfaces exposed through interface layer 64. As such, a client application of computing device 60 may invoke one or more interfaces of one or more services 68 to implement the techniques of this disclosure.

  According to the techniques of this disclosure, the service 68 comprises an event processing platform that includes an event endpoint front end 68A, an event selector 68B, an event processor 68C, and a high priority (HP) event processor 68D. be able to. The event endpoint front end 68A operates as a front end interface for sending and receiving communications with the PPE 62 and the hub 14. In other words, the event endpoint front end 68A acts as a frontline interface for the safety equipment deployed within the environment 8 and used by the worker 10.

  In some cases, the event endpoint front end 68A may be invoked by multiple tasks or jobs to receive individual inbound communications of the event stream 69 from the PPE 62 that holds the data sensed and captured by the safeguard. May be implemented as. The event endpoint front end 68A may, for example, upon receipt of the event stream 69, launch a task called an event to quickly enqueue inbound communications and close the communications session, thereby providing high speed processing and scalability. To do. Each received communication may carry, for example, recently captured data representative of a sensed condition, movement, temperature, motion, or other data commonly referred to as an event. The communication exchanged between the event endpoint front end 68A and the PPE can be real-time or pseudo real-time, depending on communication delay and continuity.

  The event selector 68B operates on the stream of events 69 received from the PPE 62 and/or the hub 14 via the front end 68A and determines the priority associated with the received event based on rules or classifications. The event selector 68B enqueues events for subsequent processing by the event processor 68C or high priority (HP) event processor 68D based on priority. The additional computational resources and objects are responsive to critical events such as misuse of PPE, use of incorrect filters and/or breathing masks based on geographic location and conditions, and incorrect locking of fall protection device 11. May be dedicated to the HP event processor 68D to ensure In response to processing the high priority event, the HP event processor 68D immediately calls the notification service 68E to alert the fall arrest device 11, hub 14 and/or remote users 20, 24 of alerts, instructions, warnings or Other similar messages can be generated. Events not classified as high priority are captured and processed by the event processor 68C.

  In general, event processor 68C or high priority (HP) event processor 68D operates on a stream of events it receives and updates event data 74A in data repository 74. In general, event data 74A may include all or a subset of usage data obtained from PPE 62. For example, in some cases, the event data 74A may include an entire stream of samples of data obtained from the PPE 62's electronic sensors. In other cases, event data 74A may include, for example, a subset of such data associated with a particular time period or activity of PPE 62.

  The event processors 68C and 68D can create, read, update, and delete the event information stored in the event data 74A. Event information may be stored in each database record as a structure containing name/value pairs of information, such as a data table specified in row/column format. For example, the name (eg, column) may be the “worker ID” and the value may be the employee identification number. The event record can include information such as, but not limited to, the worker's ID, PPE's ID, acquired time stamp, and data indicating one or more sensed parameters.

  Further, the event selector 68B guides the received stream of the event to the stream analysis service 68F. This stream analysis service 68F represents an example of an analysis engine and is configured to perform detailed processing of a received stream of events to perform real-time analysis. The stream analysis service 68F may be configured to, for example, process multiple streams of event data 74A as the event data 74A is received and compare it with past data and the model 74B in real time. In this way, the stream analysis service 68D may be configured to detect anomalies, convert received event data values, and issue alerts when it detects a safety issue based on state or worker behavior. it can.

  The historical data and model 74B may include, for example, certain safety rules, business rules, and the like. Thus, the historical data and the model 74B can characterize the behavior of the user of the fall arrest device 11 as complying with, for example, safety rules, business rules, and the like. Further, the stream parsing service 68D may generate output for communicating to the PPPE 62 via the notification service 68F or to the computing device 60 via the record management and reporting service 68D.

  The analysis service 68F processes the inbound stream of events from the corresponding safety PPE 62 used by the worker 10 in the environment 8, potentially a stream of hundreds or thousands of events to provide historical data and a model 74B. By applying the above, it is possible to calculate an assertion such as prediction of occurrence of the identified abnormality or imminent safety-related event based on the state or behavior pattern of the worker. The parsing service 68D may issue assertions to the notification service 68F and/or record management by the service bus 70 for output to either client 63.

  In this way, the analysis service 68F can be configured as an active safety management system that anticipates imminent safety issues and provides real-time alert generation and reporting. In addition, the analytics service 68F processes the inbound stream of event data to aggregate or individual worker and/or PPE-based statistics, conclusions, for enterprises, security personnel, and other remote users. And/or a decision support system that provides the technology to generate recommendations in the form of assertions. For example, the analysis service 68F applies historical data and the model 74B, and based on the detected behavior pattern or activity pattern, environmental conditions, and geographical location, regarding a specific worker, an event related to the safety of the worker. Can determine the imminent possibility.

  In some embodiments, analysis service 68F may generate a user interface based on the processing information stored by PPEMS 6 and provide actionable information to either client 63. For example, analysis service 68F may generate dashboards, alert notifications, reports, etc. for output on either client 63. Such information can be used to identify the baseline (“normal”) behavior of the entire population of workers, identify any anomalous workers engaged in anomalous activities that may endanger the workers, and ensure significantly unusual (eg, high) safety. A variety of issues related to the identification of any geographic area within the environment in which the event of interest occurs or is expected to occur, the identification of any environment that indicates an abnormal occurrence of a safety-related event compared to other environments, etc. Can provide insight.

  In one exemplary implementation, the parsing service 68F uses machine learning to perform real-time parsing when operating on a stream of safety-related events, although other techniques can be used. That is, the analysis service 68F includes executable data generated by applying machine learning to the training data in the event stream and known safety related events to detect patterns. The executable code may take the form of software instructions or a set of rules, commonly referred to as a model, that may later be applied to the event stream 69 to detect similar patterns and predict nearby upcoming events. it can.

  Analysis service 68F may, in some embodiments, generate a separate model for a particular worker, a particular group of workers, a particular environment, or a combination thereof. The analysis service 68F can update the model based on the usage data received from the PPE 62. For example, analysis service 68F may update the model for a particular worker, a particular group of workers, a particular environment, or a combination thereof based on the data received from PPE 62.

  Alternatively or additionally, the analysis service 68F may communicate all or part of the generated code and/or machine learning model to the hub 14 (or PPE 62) for execution on the hub 14 (or PPE 62) and to the PPE. Local alerts may be provided in substantially real time. Exemplary machine learning techniques that can be used to generate the model 74B can include various learning styles such as supervised learning, unsupervised learning, and semi-supervised learning. Exemplary algorithm types include Bayesian algorithms, clustering algorithms, decision tree algorithms, regularization algorithms, regression algorithms, instance-based algorithms, artificial neural network algorithms, deep learning algorithms, dimensionality reduction algorithms, and the like. Various examples of specific algorithms include Bayesian linear regression, boost decision tree regression, neural network regression, backpropagation neural networks, apriori algorithms, K-means clustering, k-Nearest Neighbour (kNN), learning vector quanta. (Learning Vector Quantization, LVQ), Self-Organizing Map (SOM), Locally Weighted Learning (LWL), Ridge regression, Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator , LASSO), elastic net, and least-angle regression (LARS), principal component analysis (Principal Component Analysis, PCA), and principal component regression (Principal Component Regression, PCR).

  Records management and reporting service 68G processes and responds to messages and queries received from computing device 60 via interface layer 64. For example, the records management and reporting service 68G may, from a client computing device, an individual worker, a group or sample set of workers, an environment 8 or a geographical area of the entire environment 8, an individual PPE 62 or a group/type of PPE 62, A request for event data associated with the may be received. In response, the records management and reporting service 68G accesses the event information on request. Upon obtaining the event data, the records management and reporting service 68G creates an output response to the client application that originally requested the information.

  As an additional example, records management and reporting service 68G may receive a request to locate, analyze and correlate PPE event information. For example, the records management and reporting service 68G may allow the user to view the PPE event information over a period of time and/or the computing device may analyze the PPE event information over a period of time, such as events over a past time frame. A query request for data 74A may be received from the client application.

  In an exemplary implementation, services 68 may also include security services 68H that authenticate and authorize users and requests by PPEMS 6. Specifically, security service 68H receives from client applications and/or other services 68 authentication requests to access data in data layer 72 and/or to perform processing in application layer 66. You can The authentication request may include a certificate such as a user name and password. Security service 68H may query security data 74A to determine if the username/password combination is valid. The configuration data 74D can include security data in the form of authentication credentials, policies, and any other information for controlling access to the PPEMS 6. As mentioned above, the security data 74A may include an authentication certificate, such as a valid username and password combination for an authorized user of the PPEMS 6. Other certificates can include device identifiers or device profiles that are allowed access to the PPEMS 6.

  Security service 68H may provide auditing and logging functionality for operations performed at PPEMS 6. For example, security service 68H may log the operations performed by service 68 and/or the data in data layer 72 accessed by service 68. The security service 68H can store audit information such as log operations, access data, and rule processing results in the audit data 74C. In some embodiments, security service 68H may generate an event in response to one or more rules being satisfied. The security service 68H can store data indicating an event in the audit data 74C.

  PPEMS 6 may include a self-check component 68I, self-check criteria 74E, and work-related data 74F. Self-check criteria 74E may include one or more self-check criteria. Work-related data 74F may include mappings between data corresponding to PPEs, workers, and work environments. Work-related data 74F can be any suitable data store for storing, retrieving, updating, and deleting data. Work-related data store 74F may store a mapping between the unique identifier of worker 10A and the unique device identifier of data hub 14A. The work-related data store 74F can also map workers to the environment. In the example of FIG. 2, the self-checking component 68I receives data from the work-related data 74F regarding the data hub 14A, the worker 10A, and/or the PPE associated with or assigned to the worker 10A, or otherwise. If not, it may be determined. Based on this data, self-check component 68I can select one or more self-check criteria from self-check criteria 74E. The self-check component 68I may send this self-check criterion to the data hub 14A.

  FIG. 3 shows an example of a computing device that can be incorporated into the article of the fall protection device 11. In the illustrated example, computing device 98 includes processor 100, memory 102, communication unit 104, one or more connection sensors 106, fall protection unit 108, one or more usage and environment sensors 110, and output unit 112. including. It should be understood that the configuration and arrangement of computing device 98 shown in FIG. 3 is shown for illustrative purposes only. In other examples, computing device 98 may be configured in various other ways to have additional, fewer, or alternative components to those shown in FIG. For example, as described in more detail below, computing device 98 may be configured to include only a subset of components, such as communication unit 104 and connectivity sensor 106, and certain processing functions may be performed by hub 14. Can also be offloaded to another device, such as one of the

  In general, computing device 98 may include multiple sensors that may capture real-time data regarding the operation of fall arrest device 11 and/or the environment in which fall arrest device 11 is used. Such data is referred to herein as usage data. In one example, processor 100 is configured within computing device 98 to implement functionality and/or process instructions for execution. For example, the processor 100 can process the instructions stored by the memory 102. Processor 100 may include, for example, a microprocessor, digital signal processor (DSP), application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), field programmable gate array (FPGA), or equivalent discrete or integrated logic circuit.

  The memory 102 can include a computer-readable storage medium or computer-readable storage device. In some implementations, the memory 102 may include one or more of short-term memory or long-term memory. As the memory 102, for example, random access memory (RAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), magnetic hard disk, optical disk, flash memory, electrically programmable memory (EPROM), or electrical An erasable programmable memory (EEPROM) may be mentioned.

  In some embodiments, memory 102 may store an operating system (not shown) or other application that controls the operation of components of computing device 98. For example, the operating system can facilitate communication of data from the electronic sensor (eg, connection sensor 106) to the communication unit 104. In some implementations, memory 102 is used to store program instructions executed by processor 100. Memory 102 may also be configured to store information within computing device 98 during operation.

  The computing device 98 can use the communication unit 104 to communicate with external devices via one or more wired or wireless connections. The communication unit 104 may also include various mixers, filters, amplifiers, and other components designed for signal modulation, as well as one or more antennas and/or other components designed for transmitting and receiving data. Good. Communication unit 104 may send and receive data to and from other computing devices using one or more suitable data communication techniques. Examples of such communication technology include TCP/IP, Ethernet (registered trademark), Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), 4G, and LTE (registered trademark), just to name a few examples. Be done. In some embodiments, the communication unit 104 may operate according to the Bluetooth® Low Energy (BLU) protocol.

  The connection sensor 106 may include a wide variety of sensors that are incorporated into the fall arrest device 11 and that are configured to generate output data indicative of the operation of the fall arrest device 11 or the characteristics of the fall arrest device 11. . For example, the connection sensor 106 may capture data indicating the relative positions of the components of the fall arrest device 11, or data indicating whether the support structure is located within the mounting area of the fall arrest device 11. Exemplary connection sensors 106 include one or more switches, Hall effect sensors, magnetic sensors, optical sensors, ultrasonic sensors, photoelectric sensors, rotary encoders, accelerometers, and the like. Specific examples of connection sensor 106 are described with respect to the examples of FIGS. 4 and 5 below.

  The fall protection unit 108 includes hardware (eg, processor 100) for controlling the operation of a lock 109 (eg, as described in more detail with respect to FIGS. 4-6 below) incorporated in fall prevention device 11. Can be implemented by any combination of software). As described herein, the lock may include any device capable of preventing or preventing disengagement of the fall arrest device 11 from the support structure. By way of example only, and as described in more detail with respect to the example shown in FIG. 6, lock 109 includes a solenoid that prevents movement of one or more components of fall arrest device 11 to provide support structure. The fall arrestor can be prevented or prevented from coming off the body. The fall protector 108 may control the operation of the lock 109 and/or the feedback component 113 based on data from the connection sensor 106, for example.

  The usage and environment sensor 110 may include a wide variety of sensors that capture data indicating the condition in which the fall arrest device 11 is being used or the environment in which the fall arrest device 11 is located. For example, usage and environment sensor 110 may include an accelerometer, location sensor, altimeter, and the like. In this example, the accelerometer may be configured to generate data indicative of the acceleration of the fall arrest device 11 with respect to gravity. The accelerometer may be configured as a single-axis or multi-axis accelerometer to determine the magnitude and direction of acceleration, eg as a vector quantity, to determine direction, coordinate acceleration, vibration, shock and/or fall. May be used. The location sensor may be configured to generate data indicating the location of the fall arrest device 11 in one of the environments 8. As a location sensor, a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, a component for performing triangulation (using, for example, beacons and/or other fixed communication points), or a fall protection device 11 Other sensors for determining relative location can be mentioned. The altimeter can be configured to generate data indicating the altitude of the fall arrester 11 above a certain height. In some embodiments, the altimeter may be configured to determine the altitude of fall prevention device 11 (eg, the higher the altitude, the lower the air pressure) based on the measured air pressure. In addition, the condition and environment sensor 110 may measure wind speed, temperature, humidity, particulate content, noise level, air quality, or any other various characteristic of the environment in which the fall arrester 11 may be used. Can include one or more sensors configured to.

  The output unit 112 may be configured to output data indicative of the operation of the fall arrest device 11, as measured by one or more sensors of the computing device 98, for example. In some examples, output unit 112 may output data directly from a sensor of computing device 98. For example, the output unit 112 generates one or more messages containing real-time or substantially real-time data from one or more sensors of the computing device 98 for transmission to another device via the communication unit 104. You may. However, in some cases, the communication unit 104 may not be able to communicate with such devices due to, for example, the environment and/or network failure in which the fall protection device 11 is located. In such a case, the output unit 112 can cache the usage data in the memory 102. That is, the output unit 112 (or the sensor itself) may store the usage data in the memory 102 so that the usage data can be uploaded to another device when a network connection is available.

  The output unit 112 may also be configured to produce an audible, visual, tactile, or other output perceptible to the user of the fall arrest device 11. For example, the output unit 112 may comprise another user interface device including various lights, displays, haptic feedback generators, speakers, etc., by way of example. In one embodiment, the output unit 112 includes one or more remote devices (eg, indicator glasses, visors, etc.) located on and/or in the field of view of the user of the fall arrest device 11. Light emitting diodes (LEDs) may be included. In another example, the output unit 112 may include one or more speakers located on the fall arrest device 11 and/or included in a remote device (eg, earpiece, headset, etc.). In yet another embodiment, the output unit 112 includes a tactile feedback generator that produces vibration or other tactile feedback to be mounted on the fall arrest device 11 or a remote device (eg, bracelet, helmet, earpiece, etc.). But it's okay. In yet another example, the output unit 112 may be to another computing device such as the end-user computing device 16, computing device 18, secure station 15, hub 14 (FIG. 1) or any other computing device. An electronic message can be generated for sending.

  In operation, the fall protection unit 108 (or another computing device capable of communicating with the computing device 98) receives from the connection sensor 106 to determine if the fall protection device 11 is connected to the support structure. Data may be used. For example, the fall prevention unit 108 can receive data indicating the state or operation of the components of the fall prevention device 11 from the connection sensor 106. The fall prevention unit 108 may determine the connection state of the articles of the plurality of fall prevention tools 11 based on the received data. For example, the fall prevention unit 108 has moved such that the components of the fall prevention device 11 can be connected to the support structure, and that the support structure is arranged in the mounting area of the fall prevention device 11. Based on the data shown, it can be determined that the article of the specific fall prevention device 11 is connected to the support structure.

  In some cases, fall protection unit 108 may control the operation of lock 109 and/or feedback component 113 based on the determined connection state. For example, based on the determination that the specific article of the fall prevention device 11 is the only fall prevention device 11 connected to the support structure (for example, according to the determined connection state), the fall prevention unit 108 The lock 109 may be activated to prevent or prevent disengagement of the fall arrester 11 from the support structure.

  In some embodiments, the lock 109 can be a secondary or tertiary lock on the fall arrest device 11. For example, certain safety standards or codes require at least two separate intentional movements to move the components of the fall arrest device 11 (eg, to move the gate), thereby causing the fall arrest device 11 to move. It can be connected or disconnected from the support structure. Each separate purposeful action may be associated with a locking mechanism, as described in more detail below with respect to FIGS. 4 and 5. In accordance with aspects of the present disclosure, lock 109 may prevent manipulation of one or more of such locking mechanisms, eg, opening to allow removal from the support structure. it can.

  The fall prevention unit 108 can also release the lock 109. For example, after actuating the lock 109, the fall prevention unit 108 may continue to monitor whether the fall prevention device 11 is connected to the support structure. The fall arrester is no longer prevented by the lock 109 from disengaging the fall arrester 11 from the support structure when one or more other articles of the fall arrester 11 are connected to the support structure. 108 releases the lock 109.

  When the fall prevention unit 108 activates the lock 109, the output unit 112 can generate a signal indicating that the lock 109 has been activated. For example, as described above, the output unit 112 may generate an audible, visual, and/or tactile output that indicates that the lock 109 has been activated. In some embodiments, output unit 112 may be another computing device such as end-user computing device 16, computing device 18, secure station 15, hub 14 (FIG. 1), or any other computing device. An electronic message may be additionally or alternatively generated indicating that the lock 109 has been activated for transmission to.

  In some cases, the lock 109 may incorporate a manual override. For example, the user can manually perform one or more actions to unlock the lock 109 from the locked position to the unlocked position. In addition to, or instead of, the alerts described above, the output unit 112 may generate a signal indicating that the lock 109 has been manually overridden by the user of the fall arrest device 11. For example, the output unit 112 may generate an electronic message, an audible output, a visual output, and/or a haptic output indicating that a manual override has been performed.

  In some embodiments, rather than activating lock 109 (or in addition to activating lock 109), fall protection unit 108 activates feedback component 113 based on the determined connection condition. Good. For example, based on the determination that the particular item of the fall prevention device 11 is the only fall prevention device 11 connected to the support structure (eg, according to the determined connection state), the fall prevention unit 108 alerts. Data can be generated and sent to the feedback component 113. Upon receiving the alert data, the fall arrester 11 may generate an alert indicating that the first article of the fall arrester is the only fall arrester article connected to the at least one support structure. . That is, in some embodiments, the feedback component 113 may provide an audible alert (eg, via one or more speakers), a visual (eg, via one or more displays, light emitting diodes (LEDs), etc.). Alerts, or tactile alerts (eg, via components of fall arrest device 11 that vibrate or provide other tactile feedback) can be generated. In other examples, as described above, the output unit 112 may generate an electronic message indicating the connection status for transmission to another device, such as the computing device 18 (FIG. 1). In some examples, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure, fall prevention unit 108 can determine if a fall has occurred. For example, the fall prevention unit 108 may receive data indicating that the fall prevention tool 11 is under load from the connection sensor 106. In response to the load exceeding a predetermined threshold, the fall protection unit 108 can generate an audible, visual or tactile alert for output by the output unit 112. In some embodiments, the fall prevention unit 108 may also be loaded, for example, to determine that the user has not only dropped (and thereby created a load) but has been suspended after the fall. You may measure the time you spend.

  FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a snap hook 120 configured according to aspects of the present disclosure. Although the example shown in FIG. 4 includes a snap hook, it should be understood that the techniques described herein may be applied to various other devices for securing a user to an anchor, such as a carabiner. For example, the carabiner can be configured similar to the snap hook 120, but can rely on a rotating or self-locking gate mechanism instead of the planar locking mechanism shown in FIG.

  The exemplary snap hook 120 of FIG. 4 comprises a movable gate 122 and a body 124 that generally define a mounting area 126 in which the support structure is located when the snap hook 120 is connected to the support structure. The snap hook 120 also includes a first sensor 128 having a sensor element 130, a second sensor 132, a computing device 134, a primary locking mechanism 136, and a lock 138. Snap hook 120 can be attached via attachment point 140 to, for example, an energy absorbing lanyard, a self-contained lanyard, or another device.

  The movable gate 122 moves between an open position and a closed position. The embodiment of FIG. 4 shows the movable gate 122 in a closed position such that the movable gate 122 contacts the body 120 to form a continuous loop defining a mounting area 126. In the open position, the movable gate 122 pivots inwardly toward the mounting area 126 and the support structure can move into the area of the mounting area 126.

  The first sensor 128 may be configured to generate data indicating whether a material (such as a support structure) is located within the mounting area 126. In the illustrated embodiment, the first sensor 128 includes an element 130 that outputs a signal in response to a magnetic field. In this example, the first sensor 128 may generate data indicating whether ferrous material is located within the mounting area 126.

  In one embodiment for purposes of explanation, the first sensor 128 may include a printed circuit board and the element 130 may include a Hall effect element incorporated into the printed circuit board. In some embodiments, permanent magnets can be placed at the relative ends of the first sensor 128. When an iron-based object is close to the body 122, the lines of magnetic force change shape because the electromagnetic field tends to be attracted to the permeable object. This change in magnetic field results in a change in magnetic flux measured using the Hall effect element.

  In other examples, the first sensor 128 can include various other contact or non-contact sensors. For example, the first sensor 128 can generate an output based on a reed switch, an inductive sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a photoelectric sensor, a mechanical sensor, a switch, or a material located within the mounting area 126. Any other combination of other sensors can be mentioned.

  The second sensor 132 may be configured to generate data indicating the movement of the gate 122. For example, the second sensor 132 can be configured to generate a signal indicating that the gate 122 has moved from the closed position to the open position and vice versa. In some embodiments, the second sensor 132 may output a discrete signal (eg, a signal indicating whether the gate 122 is in the open or closed position). In other embodiments, the second sensor 132 may output data indicating the relative position of the gate 122. The second sensor 132 can include one or more switches, rotary encoders, accelerometers, or any other sensor capable of producing an output based on the position or movement of the gate 122.

  Computing device 134 may include computing components that are responsible for processing and/or transmitting the data generated by first sensor 128 and second sensor 132. Computing device 134 may also include a power source such as a battery. In some examples, computing device 134 may be configured to include the components of computing device 98 shown in FIG. In other examples, computing device 134 may include a subset of computing device 98. For example, computing device 134 may simply include one or more processors and communication units for transmitting data from first sensor 128 and second sensor 132 to another computing device.

  The primary locking mechanism 136 is configured to prevent the gate 122 from moving to the open position. For example, the primary locking mechanism 136 includes components that engage the gate 122 to prevent the gate 122 from pivoting toward the mounting area 126. When the user operates the primary locking mechanism 136 (eg, when the user squeezes the primary locking mechanism 136), the components of the primary locking mechanism 136 disengage from the gate 122 and the gate can move toward the mounting area 126.

  In accordance with aspects of the present disclosure, the lock 138 can be configured to prevent or prevent the gate 122 from moving from the closed position to the open position based on the connected state of the snap hook 120, thereby causing the snap hook. It is possible to prevent or prevent 120 from coming off the support structure. For example, computing device 134 (and/or another computing device in communication with snap hook 120) may determine whether snap hook 120 is connected to the support structure based on data from first sensor 128. be able to. That is, the computing device 134 may receive data from the first sensor 128 indicating that the support structure is within the mounting area 126. The computing device 134 can determine the connection status based on such data. For example, the computing device 134 may determine that the snap hook 120 is connected when the support structure is present and not connected when the support structure is not present.

  In some examples, computing device 134 may additionally or alternatively use data from second sensor 132 to determine a connection status. For example, the computing device 132 can determine that the snap hook 120 has been connected to the support structure based on some ordered operation. In this example, computing device 134 may receive data from second sensor 132 indicating that gate 122 has moved to the open position. The computing device 134 may receive data from the first sensor 128 indicating that the support structure is located within the mounting area 126. The computing device 134 can then receive data from the second sensor 132 indicating that the gate 122 has moved to the closed position and determine that the snap hook 120 has been connected to the support structure.

  Computing device 134 may operate first sensor 128 based on data from second sensor 132. For example, upon receiving data from the second sensor 132 that the gate 122 has moved to the open position, the computing device 134 may activate the first sensor 128 to identify the support structure within the mounting area 126. it can.

  After determining that the snap hook 120 has been connected to the support structure, the computing device 134 (or another computing device in communication with the snap hook 120) may be coupled to one or more other fall prevention devices being used by the same user. The condition of the item of equipment (referred to herein as a set of fall arresters) can be monitored. For example, the computing device 134 may identify when other fall protection articles are connected to and disconnected from one or more support structures, such as when a worker moves through a work site. You can The computing device 134 can determine when the snap hook 120 is the only fall protection article in the set that is connected to the support structure. Based on this determination, the computing device 134 actuates the lock 138 to prevent or prevent the gate 122 from moving from the closed position to the open position based on the connection state of the snap hook 120, thereby causing the snap hook. It is possible to prevent or prevent 120 from coming off the support structure.

  In some embodiments, the lock 138 may include a locking component that interfaces directly with the gate 122 to prevent the gate 122 from being opened. For example, the lock 138 can include a mechanical barrier that prevents the 122 from moving. In other examples, the lock 138 may be configured to interlock with one or more other locking mechanisms of the snap hook 120, such as the primary locking mechanism 136. For example, the lock 138 can comprise a mechanical barrier that prevents the primary locking mechanism 136 from moving, thereby preventing the gate 122 from moving.

  Although the embodiment described with respect to FIG. 4 includes a primary locking mechanism 136 and a lock 138, other embodiments may include additional locking mechanisms. For example, certain safety standards or cords require at least two separate and purposeful movements for the gate 122 to open, which allows the snap hook 120 to connect or disconnect from the support structure. Each separate purposeful action may be associated with a locking mechanism. Exemplary locking mechanisms for the snap hook 120 include latches, spring-loaded collars, levers, or any combination of other components that require deliberate action on the part of the user to operate. Can be mentioned. According to aspects of the disclosure, the lock 138 may be a tertiary locking mechanism included in addition to the locking mechanism associated with two separate intentional movements.

  Computing device 134 can also unlock lock 138. For example, the computing device 134 may continue to monitor whether the fall arresters in the set are connected to the support structure. The computing device 134 locks the lock 138 so that the lock 138 no longer prevents the snap hook 120 from disengaging from the support structure when one or more other fall arrest article is connected to the support structure. You may cancel. Additionally or alternatively, lock 138 can include a manual override that allows a user to manually unlock lock 138.

  When the computing device 134 activates the lock 138, the computing device 134 may generate a signal indicating that the lock 138 has been activated and/or the lock 138 has been manually overridden. In some examples, computing device 134 may generate an electronic message, an audible output, a visual output, and/or a haptic output indicating that lock 138 has been activated and/or a manual override has occurred. can do.

  It should be appreciated that the construction and arrangement of the snap hook 120 shown in FIG. 4 is shown for illustrative purposes only. In other embodiments, the snap hooks 120 can be configured in various other ways with additional, fewer, or alternative components than those shown in FIG. For example, as described above, snap hook 120 may be a communication unit for transmitting data to a subset of components such as first sensor 128, second sensor 132, and another computing device such as one of hubs 14. And may be included.

  In another example, the snap hook 120 may include a feedback component to indicate the connected state of the snap hook 120. For example, the feedback component is responsive to determining that the snap hook 120 is the only fall protection article connected to the support structure to generate an audible, visual, or tactile alert. It may include any of a variety of speakers, displays, lights, haptic feedback components, and the like.

  In yet another example, snap hook 120 may include one or more components for determining if a drop has occurred, such as drop sensor 142. For example, according to aspects of the present disclosure, drop sensor 142 may include a switch, sensor, etc. for determining a drop condition. In one example, the drop sensor 142 can determine the flexure, movement, or motion of the attachment point 140 to which the line component is attached, depending on the load. If the load exceeds a predetermined threshold, the drop sensor 142 (which may include Hall effect sensors, mechanical switches, etc.) may determine relative movement or change in shape of the attachment point 140.

  In addition to producing a signal when attachment point 140 (or another component located near the bottom of snap hook 120) moves a predetermined amount in response to a given load, a particular load is applied to the connector. This position can also be monitored over a period of time via a sensor to indicate that it was not only applied but also applied over time. Based on such data, snap hook 120 (or computing device 98) may determine that the user has dropped (which creates a load) but is still suspended after the fall.

  Based on the data from the drop sensor 142, the snap hook 120 (or another device such as the computing device 98) can generate one or more alerts. For example, upon determining that a drop has occurred, drop sensor 142 may generate an audible, visual, or wireless communication (eg, electronic message) indicating that a drop has occurred.

  FIG. 5 illustrates one example of a carrier sleeve 160 constructed in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The exemplary carrier sleeve 160 of FIG. 5 has a movable gate 162 and support structure disposed when the carrier sleeve 160 is connected to a support structure, eg, a vertically arranged cable extending through a mounting region 166. A body 164 that generally defines a mounting area 166. The carrier sleeve 160 also includes a first sensor 168 having a sensor element 170, a second sensor 172, a computing device 174, a primary locking mechanism 176, a secondary locking mechanism 178, and a lock 180.

  The movable gate 162 moves between an open position and a closed position. The embodiment of FIG. 5 shows the movable gate 162 in the closed position, where the movable gate 162 is located proximate to the body 164, so that the mounting area 166 is defined by the carrier in which the mounting area is located. It is a closed space that prevents it from moving in and out of 166. In the open position, the movable gate 162 pivots toward the body 164 and the support structure can move into the mounting area 166.

  The first sensor 168 can be configured to generate data indicating whether a material (such as a support structure) is located within the mounting area 166. In the illustrated example, the first sensor 168 includes an element 170 configured to contact a support structure within the mounting area 166. For example, the first sensor 168 may be a contact switch and may generate a signal in response to the support structure contacting the element 170. In other examples, the first sensor 168 may include various other contact or non-contact sensors. For example, the first sensor 168 may generate an output based on a Hall effect sensor, reed switch, inductive sensor, ultrasonic sensor, photoelectric sensor, mechanical sensor, switch, or material disposed within the mounting area 166. Any other possible sensor, can be included.

  The second sensor 172 may be configured to generate data indicating the movement of the gate 162. For example, the second sensor 172 may be configured to generate a signal indicating that the gate 162 has moved from the closed position to the open position and vice versa. In some embodiments, the second sensor 172 may output a discrete signal (eg, a signal indicating whether the gate 162 is in the open position or the closed position). In other embodiments, the second sensor 172 may output data indicating the relative position of the gate 162. The second sensor 172 may include one or more switches, rotary encoders, accelerometers, or any other sensor capable of producing an output based on the position or movement of the gate 162.

  Computing device 174 may comprise computing components responsible for processing and/or transmitting data generated by first sensor 168 and second sensor 172. Computing device 174 may also include a power source such as a battery. In some examples, computing device 174 may be configured to include the components of computing device 98 shown in FIG. In other examples, computing device 174 may include a subset of computing device 98. For example, computing device 174 may simply include one or more processors and communication units for transmitting data from first sensor 168 and second sensor 172 to another computing device.

  The primary locking mechanism 176 is configured to prevent the gate 162 from moving to the open position. For example, the primary locking mechanism 176 includes a component that engages the gate 162 to prevent the gate 162 from moving to the open position. When a user operates the primary locking mechanism 176 (eg, the user rotates or otherwise moves the primary locking mechanism 176), the components of the primary locking mechanism 176 disengage from the gate 162.

  The secondary locking mechanism 178 is also configured to prevent the gate 162 from moving to the open position. For example, the secondary locking mechanism 178 includes spring components that prevent the gate 162 from moving to the open position without intentional movement of the carrier sleeve 160 by the user. When the user operates the secondary locking mechanism 178 (eg, when the user pushes the secondary locking mechanism 178 to bias the spring), the gate 162 can move to access the mounting area 166.

  According to aspects of the present disclosure, the lock 180 prevents or prevents the gate 162 from moving from the closed position to the open position based on the connection of the carrier sleeve 160, thereby causing the carrier sleeve 160 to disengage from the support structure. It may be configured to prevent or prevent this. For example, computing device 174 (and/or another computing device in communication with carrier sleeve 160) may determine whether carrier sleeve 160 is connected to the support structure based on data from first sensor 168. can do. That is, the computing device 174 may receive data from the first sensor 168 indicating that the support structure is within the mounting area 166. The computing device 174 can determine the connection status based on such data. For example, the computing device 174 can determine that the carrier sleeve 160 is connected when the support structure is present and not connected when the support structure is not present.

  In some embodiments, computing device 174 may also, or instead, use data from second sensor 172 to determine the connection status. For example, computing device 172 may determine that carrier sleeve 160 is connected to the support structure based on a number of ordered operations. In this example, computing device 174 may receive data from second sensor 172 indicating that gate 162 has moved to the open position. The computing device 174 may receive data from the first sensor 168 indicating that the support structure is located within the mounting area 166. The computing device 174 can then receive data from the second sensor 172 indicating that the gate 162 has moved to the closed position and can determine that the carrier sleeve 160 is connected to the support structure.

  After determining that the carrier sleeve 160 has been connected to the support structure, the computing device 174 (or another computing device in communication with the carrier sleeve 160) may be coupled to one or more other fall prevention devices that are being used by the same user. The condition of the article of equipment (referred to herein as a set of fall arresters) may be monitored. For example, the computing device 174 may include, for example, one or more support structures on which other fall prevention device articles (such as one or more carabiners 120 (FIG. 4)) may be present as the worker moves through the work site. It can identify when it is connected to the body and when it is disconnected. Computing device 174 may determine that carrier sleeve 160 is the only fall arrester in the set that is connected to its support structure. Based on this determination, the computing device 174 actuates the lock 180 to prevent or prevent the gate 162 from moving from the closed position to the open position based on the connection state of the carrier sleeve 160, thereby causing the carrier to move. It is possible to prevent or prevent the sleeve 160 from coming off the support structure.

  In some embodiments, the lock 180 may include a locking component that directly interfaces with the gate 162 to prevent the gate 162 from being opened, as described with respect to the embodiment of FIG. 6 below. For example, lock 180 can include a mechanical barrier that prevents movement of 162. In other embodiments, lock 180 may be configured to interface with one or more other locking features of carrier sleeve 160, such as primary locking mechanism 176 or secondary locking mechanism 178. For example, the lock 180 can include a mechanical barrier that prevents the gate 162 from moving by preventing the primary locking mechanism 176 from moving or rotating.

  In some examples, computing device 174 may also unlock lock 180. For example, the computing device 174 may continue to monitor whether the fall arresters in the set are connected to the support structure. The computing device 174 locks 180 so that the lock 180 no longer prevents the carrier sleeve 160 from disengaging from the support structure when one or more other fall arrest article is connected to the support structure. May be canceled. Additionally or alternatively, the lock 180 can include a manual override that allows a user to manually unlock the lock 180.

  When the computing device 174 actuates the lock 180, the computing device 174 may generate a signal indicating that the lock 180 has been actuated and/or the lock 180 has been manually overridden. In some examples, computing device 174 may generate an electronic message, an audible output, a visual output, and/or a haptic output indicating that lock 180 has been activated and/or a manual override has occurred. be able to.

  It should be appreciated that the construction and arrangement of carrier sleeve 160 shown in FIG. 5 is shown for illustrative purposes only. In other embodiments, the carrier sleeve 160 can be configured in a variety of other ways with additional, fewer, or alternative components than those shown in FIG. For example, as described above, the carrier sleeve 160 may include a subset of components, such as the first sensor 168, the second sensor 172, and another computer for performing a particular processing function, such as one of the hubs 14. It may be configured to include only a communication unit for transmitting data to the reading device.

  In another example, the carrier sleeve 160 can include a feedback component to indicate the connection status of the carrier sleeve 160. For example, the feedback component is optional for generating an audible, visual, or tactile alert in response to determining that the carrier sleeve 160 is the only fall prevention article connected to the support structure. Various speakers, displays, lights, haptic feedback components, and the like.

  In yet another example, carrier sleeve 160 may include one or more components for determining if a drop has occurred, such as drop sensor 182. For example, according to aspects of the present disclosure, drop sensor 182 may include a switch, a sensor, etc. for determining a drop condition. In one example, the drop sensor 182 can measure deflection, movement, or motion of a component that attaches the carrier sleeve 160 to a user in response to a load. If the load exceeds a predetermined threshold, the drop sensor 182 (which may include a Hall effect sensor, mechanical switch, etc.) may measure relative movement or change in shape of the mounting component. In other embodiments, the drop sensor 182 may be located anywhere on the carrier sleeve 160, which allows the drop sensor 182 to determine changes in load on components that attach the carrier sleeve 160 to a user. be able to.

  In addition to producing a signal when a mounting component moves a predetermined amount in response to a given load, to indicate that a particular load has been applied to the connector as well as over time. It is also possible to monitor this position for a certain period of time via a sensor. Based on such data, the carrier sleeve 160 (or computing device 98) may determine that the user has dropped (which creates a load) but is still suspended after the drop.

  Based on the data from fall sensor 182, carrier sleeve 160 (or another device such as computing device 98) can generate one or more alerts. For example, upon determining that a drop has occurred, the drop sensor 182 may generate an audible, visual, or wireless communication (eg, electronic message) that indicates that a drop has occurred.

  FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary carrier sleeve 160 in more detail. For example, as described above, the lock 180 prevents or prevents the gate 162 from moving from the closed position to the open position based on the connection of the carrier sleeve 160, which causes the carrier sleeve 160 to disengage from the support structure. It may be configured to prevent or prevent this. In the embodiment of FIG. 6, lock 180 includes a solenoid 182 that moves pin 184 from extended position 186 to retracted position 188 and vice versa.

  For example, as described above with respect to FIG. 5, computing device 174 can determine when carrier sleeve 160 is the only fall protection article connected to the support structure in the set. .. Based on this determination, computing device 174 can activate lock 180. When the lock 180 is actuated, the pin 184 can move from the retracted position 188 to the extended position 186. When in the extended position 186, the pin 184 can prevent the gate 162 from moving from the closed position to the open position. In some embodiments, pin 184 may interface directly with gate 162 to prevent gate 162 from opening. In other embodiments, the pin 184 can cooperate with another component of the carrier sleeve 160 (such as the primary locking mechanism 176 or the secondary locking mechanism 178) to prevent the gate 162 from opening.

  In some examples, computing device 174 may also unlock lock 180. For example, the computing device 174 may continue to monitor whether the fall arresters in the set are connected to the support structure. The computing device 174 signals the solenoid 182 to move the pin 184 from the extended position 186 to the retracted position 188 when one or more other fall arrest article is connected to the support structure. The lock 180 may be released. Additionally or alternatively, lock 180 may include a manual override that allows a user to manually move pin 184 from extended position 186 to retracted position 188.

  FIG. 7 illustrates one embodiment of hub 14 in more detail. For example, the hub 14 may include one or more processors 200, a memory 202 that may store usage data 204, connection data 206, alert data 208, a communication unit 210, a sensor 212, a user interface 214, and And a remote interface 216. It should be appreciated that the configuration and arrangement of hub 14 shown in FIG. 7 is shown for illustrative purposes only. In other embodiments, hub 14 may be configured in various other ways with more, fewer, or other components than that shown in FIG. For example, hub 14 may also include one or more batteries, charging components, etc. not shown in FIG. Further, while shown in the embodiment of FIG. 7 as a wearable device, in other embodiments hub 14 may be implemented as a stand-alone device located in a particular environment.

  In general, hub 14 may enable and facilitate communication between fall arrest device 11 (eg, snap hook 120 or carrier sleeve 160, etc.) and PPEMS 6. For example, each worker's fall arrest device 11 as well as other PPEs may communicate with hub 14 via Bluetooth® or other short-range protocol, which may be 802.11 WiFi®. You may communicate with PPEMS6 by wireless communication, such as a protocol. In some embodiments, the hub 14 may also include one or more components (eg, locks, etc.) of the fall arrest device 11 based on the connection data 206, as described in more detail herein. It can control, generate and/or output alerts, or perform various other functions.

  In one embodiment, the processor 200 is configured to implement the functions within the hub 14 and/or process instructions for execution. For example, the processor 200 can process the instructions stored by the memory 202. Processor 200 may include, for example, a microprocessor, digital signal processor (DSP), application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), field programmable gate array (FPGA), or equivalent discrete or integrated logic circuit.

  The memory 202 can include a computer-readable storage medium or computer-readable storage device. In some embodiments, memory 202 may include one or more of short term memory or long term memory. The memory 202 is, for example, a random access memory (RAM), a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), a static random access memory (SRAM), a magnetic hard disk, an optical disk, a flash memory, an electrically programmable memory (EPROM), or an electrical memory. An example is an erasable programmable memory (EEPROM).

  In some embodiments, memory 202 may store an operating system (not shown) or other application that controls the operation of the components of hub 14. For example, the operating system may facilitate communication of data from memory 202 to communication unit 210. In some embodiments, memory 202 is used to store program instructions executed by processor 200. Memory 202 may also be configured to store information within hub 14 during operation. In the example shown in FIG. 5, memory 202 may store usage data 204, connection data 206, alert data 208, as described in more detail below.

  The hub 14 may use the communication unit 210 to communicate with external devices via one or more wired or wireless communications. Communication unit 210 includes various mixers, filters, amplifiers, and other components designed for signal modulation, as well as one or more antennas and/or other components designed for transmitting and receiving data. You can Communication unit 210 may send and receive data to and from other computing devices using one or more suitable data communication techniques. Examples of such communication technology include TCP/IP, Ethernet (registered trademark), Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), 4G, and LTE (registered trademark), just to name a few examples. Be done. For example, the communication unit 210 may communicate with the fall arrest device 11 or other PPE via Bluetooth® or other short range protocol, and the communication unit 210 may communicate with the PPEMS 6 via wireless communication such as the 802.11 WiFi protocol. May communicate with.

  Sensors 212 may include one or more sensors that generate data indicative of activity of worker 10 associated with hub 14 and/or data indicative of the environment in which hub 14 is located. Sensors 212 may include, by way of example, one or more accelerometers, one or more sensors for sensing conditions present in a particular environment (eg, temperature, humidity, particulate content, noise level, air quality, or Sensors for measuring any other various characteristics of the environment in which the fall arrester 11 can be used), or various other sensors.

  User interface 214 may include, by way of example, another user interface device including various lights, displays, haptic feedback generators, speakers, and the like. In general, the user interface 214 can output the status of the fall arrest device 11 and/or the hub 14 and an alert to the worker 10. In one example, the user interface 214 may include a plurality of multicolored LEDs that illuminate to provide information to the worker 10. In another example, the user interface 214 can include a motor configured to vibrate the hub 14 to provide tactile feedback to the operator 10.

  Remote interface 216 is configured to generate data for output at client 62 (FIG. 2). For example, the remote interface 216 can generate data indicating the status of the fall arrest device 11 and/or the hub 14. For example, the remote interface 216 may generate data indicating whether the fall prevention device 11 is connected to the hub 14 and/or information regarding the components of the fall prevention device 11. That is, the remote interface 216 is, for example, the remaining service life of the fall prevention device 11, the battery state of the fall prevention device 11, the connection state of the fall prevention device 11, and the only fall prevention device in which the fall prevention device 11 is connected to the support structure. It is possible to generate data indicating whether or not it is a tool, whether the user manually overrides the lock of the fall prevention tool, whether maintenance or replacement of the fall prevention tool 11 is required, and the like. Remote interface 216 may additionally or alternatively generate data indicative of any alerts issued by hub 14.

  According to aspects of the present disclosure, hub 14 may store usage data 204 from a sensor on drop prevention device 11. The usage data 204 generally refers to data indicating how a user uses the fall prevention device 11, for example, data indicating relative positions of components of the fall prevention device 11 and a support structure in an attachment area of the fall prevention device 11. Contains data indicating whether or not is placed, or other actions or characteristics of the fall arrester 11.

  As described herein, the sensors of the fall arrester 11 can generate data regarding the operation of the fall arrester 11 and send that data to the hub 14 in real time or substantially real time. In some embodiments, hub 14 may immediately relay usage data 204 to another computing device, such as PPEMS 6, via communication unit 210. In another example, memory 202 may store usage data 204 for some time before uploading the data to another device. For example, in some cases, the communication unit 210 may be able to communicate with the fall arrest device 11, but may not have network connectivity due to, for example, the environment in which the fall arrest device 11 is located and/or a network failure. is there. In such a case, hub 14 may store usage data 204 in memory 202, which allows the usage data to be uploaded to another device when a network connection is available.

  According to aspects of the present disclosure, hub 14 also stores connection data 206 that indicates the connection status of the articles of one or more fall arresters 11 used by operator 10. That is, the connection data 206 can indicate whether the article of each fall prevention device 11 in the set of fall prevention devices used by the worker 10 is connected to the support structure. In some cases, the hub 14 may receive the connection data 206 from the fall arrest device 11, as determined by the fall arrest device 11, for example. In other embodiments, the hub 14 may receive data from the sensors of the fall arrest device 11 and the processor 200 may determine the connection data 206 based on the received sensor data.

  According to the aspects of the present disclosure, the hub 14 can control the operation of the fall prevention tool 11 based on the connection data 206. For example, the hub 14 can determine that the fall prevention tool 11 is connected to the support structure based on the connection data 206. The hub 14 can also determine when one or more articles in the fall arrest device 11 have been removed from the support structure. The hub 14 can determine when an item of a particular anti-drop device 11 is the only anti-fall device 11 connected to the support structure in the set. Based on this determination, in some embodiments, hub 14 may issue an audible, visual, or tactile alert (eg, via user interface 214) or fall protection 11 may support. An electronic message can be sent (eg, via remote interface 216) indicating that it is the only fall protection article connected to the structure. In other embodiments, the hub 14 may actuate a lock on the anti-drop device to prevent or prevent the anti-fall device from disengaging from the support structure.

  According to aspects of the disclosure, hub 14 may store alert data 208 for generating alerts output by user interface 214 and/or remote interface 216. For example, hub 14 may receive alert data from PPEMS 6, fall protection device 11, end-user computing device 16, a remote user using computing device 18, safety station 15, or other computing device. .. In some embodiments, alert data may be based on the operation of fall arrest device 11. For example, the hub 14 may receive alert data 208 indicating that the fall prevention device 11 is the only fall prevention device article connected to the support structure. As another example, the hub 14 may receive alert data 208 that indicates the operation of the lock and/or the lock was manually overridden. As yet another example, hub 14 may receive alert data 208 indicating that a drop has occurred.

  The hub 14 interprets the received alert data 208 and produces an output (eg, an audible, visual, or tactile output) at the user interface 214 or remote interface 216 to alert the worker 10 or remote party of an alert condition (eg, , Lock operation or overriding, environmental hazards, fall prevention device 11 malfunctioning, one or more components of fall prevention device 11 need to be repaired or replaced, etc.) You may. In some cases, the hub 14 also interprets the alert data 208 and issues one or more commands to the fall arrest device 11 to place the fall arrest device 11 in a desired/less risky action. To adapt, the behavior of the fall arrester 11 can be modified or rules can be enforced.

  While particular techniques or functions are described herein as being implemented by particular components, such as PPEMS 6, fall arrest device 11, or hub 14, the techniques of this disclosure are thus limited. Please understand that this is not what is done. That is, the particular techniques described herein may be implemented by one or more of the components of the described system. For example, in some cases, fall arrest device 11 may have a relatively limited set of sensors and/or processing capabilities. In such cases, one of the hub 14 and/or the PPEMS 6 may play most or all of the roles of processing usage data, determining connection status, and the like. In other embodiments, the fall arrester 11 may have additional sensors, additional processing power and/or additional memory whereby the fall arrester 11 implements additional techniques. can do. The decision as to which component is responsible for implementing the technology may be based on, for example, processing costs, financial costs, power consumption, etc.

  FIG. 8 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary process for controlling movement of an article of a fall arrest device according to aspects of the present disclosure. Although the technique shown in FIG. 8 is described with respect to fall arrest device 11, the technique may be performed by various computing devices, such as hub 14, one of PPEMS 6, or another computing device. Please understand what you can do.

  In the illustrated embodiment, the fall arrester 11 can determine 220 that the fall arrester is connected to the support structure 11. For example, the fall prevention device can receive data from one or more sensors incorporated in the fall prevention device 11 and can determine the connection state based on the received data. In some cases, the received data may indicate that the support structure is located within the mounting area of the fall arrest device 11. In other cases, the received data may be indicative of an operation of the fall arrest device 11, such as opening and closing the gate of the fall arrest device 11.

  The fall prevention device 11 may determine that the fall prevention device 11 is the only fall prevention device 11 connected to the support structure (222). For example, an operator typically uses a plurality of anti-fall devices (referred to herein as a set of anti-fall devices) to allow the operator to move at least one of the support structures to the support structure while moving through a work site. Be able to maintain one connection. That is, when an operator detaches from one support structure and connects to another support structure, the operator can maintain at least one connection to the support structure. According to the aspects of the present disclosure, the fall prevention device 11 may be determined to be the only fall prevention device in the set where the fall prevention device 11 is connected to the support structure.

  Based on the determination, the fall prevention tool 11 can execute at least one operation. For example, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure, fall prevention device 11 generates an alert indicating that the first fall prevention device article is the only fall prevention article connected to at least one support structure. You may. That is, in some embodiments, fall arrester 11 may provide an audible alert (eg, via one or more speakers), a visual (eg, via one or more displays, light emitting diodes (LEDs), etc.). Alerts, or tactile alerts (eg, via components of fall protection device 11 that vibrate or provide other tactile feedback) can be generated. In another example, fall arrest device 11 may generate an electronic message for transmission to another device, such as computing device 18 (FIG. 1).

  Additionally or alternatively, in order to perform at least one action, fall arrest device 11 may activate a lock to prevent or prevent fall arrest device 11 from disengaging from the support structure ( 224). In some cases, this lock can be a tertiary locking mechanism that can be overridden by performing a particular operation or series of operations.

  In some embodiments, the particular acts or events of any of the techniques described herein may be performed in a different order, added together, combined, or omitted (eg, the acts described). Or, not all of the events are necessary for the practice of the technology). Moreover, in certain embodiments, acts or events may be performed concurrently, eg, by multithreaded processing, interrupt processing, or multiple processors, rather than sequentially.

  In one or more embodiments, the functions described may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software, the functions may be stored on or transmitted over as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium and executed by a hardware-based processing unit. Computer-readable media include computer-readable storage media, which corresponds to tangible media such as data storage media, or any medium that facilitates transfer of a computer program from one place to another according to a communication protocol, for example. A medium can be mentioned. In this way, the computer-readable medium may generally correspond to (1) non-transitory tangible computer-readable storage medium, or (2) a communication medium such as a signal or carrier wave. Any data storage medium may be accessed by one or more computers or one or more processors to obtain instructions, code, and/or data structures for implementing the techniques described in this disclosure. Can be any available medium. A computer program product may include a computer-readable medium.

  By way of example, such computer-readable storage media is desired in the form of RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM, or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage, or other magnetic storage device, flash memory, or instructions or data structures. Can be used to store the program code of, and can include, but is not limited to, any other medium accessible by a computer. Also, any connection is properly termed a computer-readable medium. For example, the instructions are coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or websites, servers, or using wireless technologies such as infrared, wireless communication, and microwave. When transmitted from other remote sources, coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, wireless, and microwave are included in the definition of medium.

  However, it should be understood that computer-readable storage media and data storage media do not include connections, carriers, signals, or other transitory media, and are instead directed to non-transitory tangible storage media. As used herein, magnetic discs and optical discs include compact discs (CDs), laser discs, optical discs, digital versatile discs (DVDs), floppy discs, and Blu-ray discs, and magnetic discs. Discs generally reproduce data magnetically, and optical discs reproduce data optically with a laser. Combinations of the above should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.

  The instructions are one or more digital signal processors (SPs), general purpose microprocessors, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or It may be implemented by one or more processors, such as other equivalent integrated or discrete logic circuits, as well as any combination of these components. Thus, as used herein, the term "processor" may refer to any of the structures described above, or any other structure suitable for implementing the techniques described herein. Moreover, in some aspects the functionality described herein may be provided in dedicated hardware and/or software modules. Also, the techniques can be fully implemented in one or more circuits or logic elements.

  The techniques of this disclosure may be implemented in a wide variety of devices or apparatuses, including wireless communication devices or handsets, microprocessors, integrated circuits (ICs), or sets of ICs (eg, chipsets). .. Although various components, modules, or units have been described in this disclosure to highlight functional aspects of a device configured to perform the disclosed techniques, implementations with various hardware units are not necessary. Not necessary. Rather, as noted above, the various units of hardware units combined with, or interoperate with, a hardware unit containing one or more processors as described above, together with suitable software and/or firmware. It may be provided as a set.

  Various embodiments have been described. These and other examples are within the scope of the following claims.

Claims (40)

Determining that a first article of fall protection device is connected to at least one support structure, the first article of fall protection device including at least one second article of fall protection device. What is included in the set of fall prevention equipment,
Determining that the first fall protection device article is the only fall prevention device article connected to the at least one support structure in the set of fall protection devices;
Performing at least one action based on a determination that the first article of the fall protection device is the only fall prevention article connected to the at least one support structure;
Including the method.   Performing the at least one action generates an alert indicating that the first article of the fall protection device is the only fall prevention article connected to the at least one support structure. The method of claim 1, comprising:   The method of claim 2, wherein generating the alert comprises generating an audible, visual, or tactile alert with the first article of the fall arrest device.   Generating the alert includes generating an electronic message that indicates that the first article of the fall protection device is the only fall prevention article connected to the at least one support structure. The method according to claim 2.   Performing the at least one operation comprises actuating a lock of the first article of the fall prevention device to prevent the first article of the fall prevention device from disengaging from the at least one support structure. The method of claim 1, comprising.   6. The method of claim 5, wherein actuating the lock comprises generating a signal for actuating the lock and transmitting the signal to a first article of the fall arrest device.   The method of claim 5, wherein the lock comprises a tertiary locking mechanism of the first article of the fall arrester, and actuating the lock comprises actuating the tertiary locking mechanism. Determining that at least one second article of the fall arrester is connected to the at least one support structure after actuating the lock;
Releasing the lock based on a determination that the first article of the fall prevention device and at least one second article of the fall prevention device are connected to the at least one support structure;
The method of claim 5, further comprising: Identifying a manual override of the lock after actuating the lock;
Generating an alert indicating that a manual override has been performed based on the identification of the manual override;
The method of claim 5, further comprising:   The method of claim 9, wherein generating the alert comprises generating an electronic message indicating that the manual override has been performed. For the user of the first article of the fall prevention device, determining that a fall has occurred;
Generating an alert based on the determination that the drop has occurred.   10. The method of claim 9, wherein generating the alert comprises generating an audible alert, a visual alert, or a tactile alert by the first article of the fall arrest device.   The method of claim 9, wherein generating the alert comprises generating an electronic message indicating that the fall has occurred.   The method of claim 9, wherein determining that the drop has occurred comprises determining that the drop has occurred based on data received from a drop sensor on the first article of the fall arrester. .. At least one second article of the fall arrester is connected to the at least one support structure before determining that the first article of the fall arrester is the only connected fall arrester article. To determine that
Further comprising determining that at least one second article of the fall arrester is disengaged from the at least one support structure,
The first article of the fall prevention device is connected to the at least one support structure in response to the determination that the at least one second article of the fall prevention device is disengaged from the at least one support structure. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is to determine that it is the only fall protection article that has. Determining that the first article of the fall arrester is connected to the at least one support structure comprises:
Determining that the gate of the first article of the fall prevention device has been opened;
Determining that the at least one support structure is located within a mounting area of the first article of the fall arrester;
Determining that the gate of the first article of the fall prevention device is closed;
The method of claim 1, comprising:   Determining that the at least one support structure is located within the attachment area of the first article of the fall arrester comprises identifying a ferrous material within the attachment area. 14. The method according to 14.   The method of claim 1, wherein the first article of fall protection comprises a carabiner or a snap hook.   The method of claim 1, wherein the first article of fall protection comprises a carrier sleeve configured to be attached to a carrier support structure. A memory configured to store data indicating whether the first article of fall protection device is connected to the at least one support structure;
One or more processors configured to communicate with the memory;
And wherein the one or more processors are
Based on the data, it is determined that the first article of the fall prevention device included in the set of the fall prevention device including at least one second article of the fall prevention device is connected to the at least one support structure. Then
Determining that the first fall prevention device article is the only fall prevention device article connected to the at least one support structure in the set of fall prevention devices;
A device configured to perform at least one action based on a determination that the first article of the anti-fall device is the only anti-fall article connected to the at least one support structure. ..   The one or more processors are the only fall arrester articles in which the first article of the fall arrester is connected to the at least one support structure to perform the at least one operation. 19. The device of claim 18, configured to generate an alert indicating.   The device includes a first article of the anti-fall device, and the one or more processors are audible, visual, or tactile alerts by the first article of the anti-fall device to generate the alert. 20. The device of claim 19, configured to generate.   The one or more processors indicate that the first article of the fall protection device is the only fall protection article connected to the at least one support structure to generate the alert. 20. The device of claim 19, configured to generate a message.   The one or more processors are the only fall arrester articles in which the first article of the fall arrester is connected to the at least one support structure to perform the at least one operation. The first article of the fall prevention device is configured to operate the lock of the first article of the fall prevention device to prevent the first article of the fall prevention device from disengaging from the at least one support structure. The device according to claim 18.   The one or more processors are configured to generate a signal for actuating the lock to actuate the lock and send the signal to a first article of the fall arrest device; 23. The device according to claim 22.   23. The device of claim 22, wherein the lock comprises a tertiary locking mechanism for the first article of the fall arrest device. The one or more processors are
Determining that at least one second article of the fall arrester is connected to the at least one support structure after activating the lock;
Further configured to release the lock based on a determination that the first article of the fall prevention device and at least one second article of the fall prevention device are connected to the at least one support structure. 23. The device of claim 22, which is: The one or more processors are
After activating the lock, identify a manual override of the lock,
23. The device of claim 22, further configured to generate an alert indicating that a manual override was performed based on the identification of the manual override. The one or more processors determine the first article of the fall arrest device is connected to the at least one support structure,
Determining that the gate of the first article of the fall prevention device has opened,
Determining that the at least one support structure is located within the attachment area of the first article of the fall arrester,
19. The device of claim 18, configured to determine that the gate of the first article of the anti-drop device is closed. A body that at least partially defines a mounting area for mounting the fall prevention device to a support structure;
A movable gate connected to the body and configured to move between an open position and a closed position, wherein the open position is the attachment for attaching the fall prevention device to the support structure. A movable gate that provides access to the area and the closed position prevents access to the mounting area;
A first sensor configured to generate data indicating whether the support structure is located within the mounting area;
Fall prevention device equipped with.   29. The anti-fall device of claim 28, further comprising a second sensor configured to generate data indicative of movement of the movable gate.   The second sensor is connected to the movable gate, and the second sensor is configured to generate data indicating movement of the movable gate to generate the data indicating movement. The fall prevention device according to claim 28.   The first sensor includes a non-contact sensor, and the first sensor generates the data indicating whether the support structure is located in the mounting area without contacting the support structure. 29. The fall prevention device of claim 28, configured to:   The non-contact sensor includes a magnetic sensor, and the first sensor is a ferrous material within the mounting area to generate the data indicating whether the support structure is located within the mounting area. 32. The fall prevention device of claim 31, configured to generate data indicating the presence of a.   29. The anti-fall device comprises a carabiner or snap hook, and the movable gate is configured to contact the body in the closed position to form a continuous loop defining the mounting area. The described fall prevention device.   29. The anti-drop device of claim 28, wherein the anti-fall device comprises a carrier sleeve and the body is configured to at least partially define a mounting area for vertical mounting to a carrier support structure. ..   In order to generate data indicating whether the support structure is located in the mounting area, the first sensor is the data indicating that the carrier support structure is located in the mounting area. 35. The anti-fall device of claim 34, which is configured to generate. The fall prevention device is
A lock having a lock position and an unlock position, wherein the lock position prevents the movable gate from moving to the open position, and
One or more processors,
Further comprising the one or more processors,
Determining that the fall prevention device included in the set of fall prevention devices including at least one second article of the fall prevention device is connected to the support structure;
Determining that the fall prevention device is the only fall prevention device article connected to the support structure in the set of fall prevention devices;
The lock is configured to actuate the lock to be in the locked position based on a determination that the fall prevention device is the only fall prevention device article connected to the support structure. The fall prevention device according to claim 28.   37. The fall prevention device of claim 36, wherein the lock includes a solenoid that moves a locking member to an extended position of the locked position and a retracted position of the unlocked position. A first article of a fall arrester configured to be connected to at least one support structure, and at least one first drop prevention instrument configured to be connected to the at least one support structure. A set of fall prevention tools including two articles;
A hub,
And the hub is
A first article of the fall prevention device and at least one second article of the fall prevention device; and a communication unit configured to perform wireless communication.
One or more processors,
And wherein the one or more processors are
Determining that the first article of the fall arrester is connected to the at least one support structure,
Determining that the first fall prevention device article is the only fall prevention device article connected to the at least one support structure in the set of fall prevention devices;
Based on the determination that the first article of the fall-prevention tool is the only fall-prevention article connected to the at least one support structure, the fall-prevention tool from the at least one support structure is A system configured to activate a lock of the first article of the fall arrestor to prevent the first article from disengaging.

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